New Delhi, April 28 -- Delays are not just common in the dynamic realm of infrastructure development-they are a costly and recurring challenge. A staggering 41% of large-scale infrastructure projects face setbacks, with an average delay of 36 months. Additionally, 449 projects have exceeded their budgets, leading to an accumulated cost overrun of Rs.5.01 lakh crores. Despite the variety of these projects, they all tell a similar story: missed deadlines, escalating expenses, and growing frustration among stakeholders. The most frequently cited reason? "The delay is beyond our control."

The tendency to attribute project delays to external factors often highlights a much larger problem-inefficient collaboration. Projects suffer when stakeho...